


In Case of Emergency, Break Rules

by Sohotthateveryonedied



Series: Batfamily Bingo [14]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Batman and the Signal (Comics), DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, Brothers, Family, Gen, Good Bro Jason Todd, Good Older Sibling Jason Todd, Past Character Death, Prompt: Guns, Protective Jason Todd, it's his way of showing love ok, jason teaches his siblings how to kill people in case of emergencies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:33:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25210177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sohotthateveryonedied/pseuds/Sohotthateveryonedied
Summary: “First lesson for being part of the bat-clan: Tim is a little shit and he can choke, so write that down.” Jason comes out of the kitchen with a plate of fresh brownies and Duke's mouth waters. Jason sets it on the coffee table and plops down on the couch, a good two feet between himself and Duke. “And what I want to talk about isn’t exactly appropriate for a pizza parlor, anyway.”
Relationships: Duke Thomas & Jason Todd
Series: Batfamily Bingo [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1792990
Comments: 14
Kudos: 528





	In Case of Emergency, Break Rules

**Author's Note:**

> Anon said: "Can I get Duke & Jason for -Guns- please? Thank you!"

If you had told Duke five years ago that one day he’d be sitting in the Red Hood’s living room while the marksman himself baked brownies from scratch in the next room, he’d...well, he wouldn’t have believed it. Obviously. The Red Hood being a good host? Inviting  _ Duke Thomas  _ over to get to know each other as if the guy hasn’t got at least a dozen guns stashed in this very room? It’s insane.   
  
“You know,” Duke says loudly enough so Jay can hear it in the kitchen, “if you wanted to hang out I would have been fine with just grabbing pizza or something.”   
  
He hears the creak of the oven door. “You insulting my place? Because it’s not too late for me to kick you out of here, you know.”   
  
“More like I still can’t believe I’m even  _ at  _ your place.” Duke lightly touches a potted hydrangea. What kind of a murderous vigilante has  _ plants?  _ There’s gotta be a gun hidden in at least one of these flower pots. “The way Tim talks, I figured you lived in a box under the freeway.”   
  
“First lesson for being part of the bat-clan: Tim is a little shit and he can choke, so write that down.” Jason comes out of the kitchen with a plate of fresh brownies and Duke's mouth waters. Jason sets it on the coffee table and plops down on the couch, a good two feet between himself and Duke. “And what I want to talk about isn’t exactly appropriate for a pizza parlor, anyway.”   
  
“Meaning?” Duke takes a brownie, careful not to spill any crumbs because his mom didn’t raise a barn animal. “You didn’t bring me here to kill me, did you?” he asks around a mouthful. “Because I don’t think Bruce would be happy to replace another sidekick."   
  
Jason snorts. He sits back, throwing an arm over the back of the sofa. “Actually, that’s why I invited you over today.”   
  
“To kill me? ‘Cause that was a joke.”   
  
“Relax, Narrows. I don’t fuck up family unless they deserve it. And even then it’s only, like, flesh wounds and stuff.” Cool, that’s not reassuring at all. But, as simple-minded as it is, Duke has to admit that he trusts Jason to an extent. He knows the rest of the family has their own opinions on the second Robin, but Duke wasn’t there for the post-resurrection rampage like they were. As far as he’s concerned, Jason is just like the rest of them: a good person who’s been dealt a crappy hand. Duke can sympathize with that.   
  
Jason reaches into a vase on the side table (called it) and pulls out a small pistol. He tosses it into Duke’s lap. “Here ya go, kid.”   
  
Duke stares down at the gun like it’s a live grenade, mouth full of chewed-up brownie and feeling like they just skipped a few steps. He swallows. “Uh...Jay? What the hell is this?”   
  
“A gun. I’m assuming you know how to use one?”   
  
“Does messing around with my cousin’s BB gun count?” Duke pinches the barrel between two fingers and drops it on the couch cushion between them, safely out of his reach. Just having it close to him gives him chills.   
  
“Nope. But that’s okay, because today I’m gonna teach you how to use one of these bad boys.” Jason takes a brownie for himself and stuffs the whole thing in his mouth, licking chocolate off his thumb. “Some new fighting techniques too. Lethal ones that I picked up from the League of Assassins and a few other places.”   
  
_ “Why?”  _   
  
“Because this is stuff you need to have in your back pocket if you’re planning to stick with this superhero thing." Jason says it matter-of-factly, as if teaching each other how to wield deadly firearms is a normal sibling bonding activity. "And before you call me a psycho and storm off, rest assured that I do this with everyone. ‘Cept Damian. He knows more ways to kill a person than I do, so he’s good on that front. Cassandra too.”   
  
“What about me makes you think that I want to  _ kill  _ people?”   
  
Jason shifts on the couch so he’s facing Duke and looks him in the eye. It’s pretty chilling to see him shift from Jason Todd-mode to Red Hood-mode up close. “Look. I know you bought into everyone else's no-killing policy, and that’s fine. Whatever. Do what you want. But I’m gonna take a shot and guess that Bruce gave you the ol’ hour-long lecture about the fragility of human life and how we’re not gods so we shouldn’t take lives, all that shit, right?”   
  
“Hour and a half, actually.”   
  
“Well, I don’t roll that way. I want you to have all the resources you need to protect yourself, no matter what Bruce says. If it comes down to them or you, I want you to use what I’m gonna teach you today and I want you to make sure it’s not you. Got it?”   
  
“Why teach _me_ this?” Duke can’t help but ask. “Why do you even care?”   
  
“Because I believe that everyone who steps out to fight the good fight needs to know this shit. I gave the same lecture to Tim years ago, and then Steph and Harper. I even dragged Grayson to a shooting range on one of his days off and made sure he knew how to deal a kill shot, whether he planned to ever use it or not.”   
  
Duke smirks. “So the Red Hood does have a heart after all.” He dodges the fist Jason swings at his head, laughing.   
  
“Don’t tell anyone or I’ll kick your ass.” But he's smiling, so Duke isn't too worried about him staying true to his word.   
  
As weird as it is, Duke can't bring himself to be surprised about getting a glimpse of Jason's soft side. Kids around Gotham—Duke included, before he joined the bat's ranks—have always known that the Red Hood is as much a protector as he is a loaded gun. Of _course_ Jason would be the one to make sure his siblings can keep themselves safe, even if that means him being ostracized even more for holding onto his beliefs with both hands instead of conforming to Bruce's laws. That, policies and god complexes aside, the people he cares about have the resources necessary to keep the Batcave devoid of memorials by any means possible.  
  
“I appreciate you looking out for me, Jay. I do. But you know I've got meta advantages, right? I can hold my own in a fight."   
  
Jason shrugs. “Then you can forget about everything I teach you after today. Throw these techniques in the trash or pass them on to some other young vigilante, if that's what you want to do. I don’t really care what you do with 'em, as long as I can sleep at night knowing that I tried.”   
  
“Why? You hardly know me.”   
  
“I know enough." Jason pats his shoulder. "You’re a good kid, Duke. A strong kid. If you want to stay all bright and shiny and keep your ledger clean forever, then that’s fine by me. But I’ve been to enough funerals—my own included. I’m not watching another Robin get killed.” He picks up the gun and holds it out to Duke, handle out. “So what do you say?”   
  
Duke looks between Jason’s face and the gun. After a minute, he takes it. “Okay. Let’s get to work.”

**Author's Note:**

> [Feel free to mosey on down to my Tumblr!](http://sohotthateveryonedied.tumblr.com/)


End file.
